A gentle technique for building dough strength during bulk fermentation by stretching one side of the dough and folding it over itself.
Folding replaces or supplements kneading, and it's gentler on the dough. You stretch one side up and fold it toward the center, then rotate and repeat for all four sides. Each set of folds strengthens the gluten network, redistributes heat and fermentation activity, and helps create a more even crumb. Most sourdough recipes call for 1-4 sets of folds spaced 30-60 minutes apart during the first half of bulk fermentation.
